A campaign that is close to her heart

STOCKTON - Waterloo Middle School sixth-grader Lindsey Schmitt is a cheerleader and a dancer with a 4.0 grade point average.

Keith Reid

STOCKTON - Waterloo Middle School sixth-grader Lindsey Schmitt is a cheerleader and a dancer with a 4.0 grade point average.

And, soon, she'll be greeting thousands of Californians with a sassy "duck face" when they go to their local Jamba Juice location.

Lindsey has been chosen as one of three Jump Rope for Heart participants who will appear on "thank you" fliers and posters in Jamba Juice locations all over California. Jamba Juice has sponsored the American Heart Association youth outreach event throughout California, and helped raise over $180,000 for research.

"It's a cause I hold dear to my heart," Lindsey said.

Lindsey, who raised more than $1,000 in last year's Jump Rope for Heart, has two heart conditions herself.

She has Wolff-Parkinson-White syndrome, which is caused by abnormal electrical pathways between the atria and ventricles and causes the heart to contract prematurely.

She also has atrial tachycardia, which can cause a sudden rapid heart rate. Atrial tachycardia makes those whom it affects susceptible to stroke if untreated.

In 2012 Lindsey underwent surgery as doctors tried to repair the atrial tachycardia, but the procedure was unsuccessful. They'll try again in two years.

Dal Porto-Schmitt said it's difficult as a parent to monitor heart rates. She needs to rely on Lindsey to tell her when she feels out of sorts.

"She doesn't like to speak up about it, and she doesn't want to use it as an excuse for not doing something," Dal Porto-Schmitt said.

American Heart Association youth marketing coordinator Brian Zambor said he was familiar with the Schmitts and Lindsey's story and asked them if they'd tell their stories. Lindsey did, and was chosen as one of three California kids who will be featured in the ads.

Applications to be the poster child for the Jump Rope for Heart fliers came from all over the state. Lindsey showed enough spunk and energy to be selected.

"It was really a fast process," Zambor said. "We only contacted (the Schmitts) two weeks ago, and they were all in."

Lindsey plans on giving a speech to her classmates on Monday before this year's Jump Rope for Heart event begins, and they all seek donations.

What will she tell them?

"Just my story and that I think they should get a lot of donations," she said.

Contact reporter Keith Reid at (209) 546-8257 or kreid@recordnet.com. Follow him at recordnet.com/edublog and on Twitter @KReidme.

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